VUDU, Rdio & Crackle Apps Updated with Google Chromecast Support

Google's $35 Chromecast has been hailed as a cost-saving alternative to Apple TV and Roku, but the device has thus far been starved of great content — a problem the Chrome OS dongle is attacking this week with three new services.

The VUDU Blog announced Monday that the Walmart-owned video-on-demand service is now available on Chromecast, courtesy of app updates for both iOS and Android as well as the ability to stream content from the Chrome web browser.

VUDU support means no set-top box is required to cast movies and TV shows from its service to a Chromecast equipped HDTV in glorious HDX quality. The mobile apps also allow control over video playback and closed captions, and continue casting content to the television even when in the background for full multitasking support.

Mac and PC users can also get into the casting game, but they'll need the latest version of the Chrome browser with the Google Cast extension installed. Not all of VUDU's content is Chromecast enabled quite yet, but the company is moving quickly to address that shortcoming.

Google also got a little boost Monday from two other popular streaming services new to the Chromecast game. Rdio announced full support for casting songs, albums, stations and playlists to an HDTV, complete with album art displayed on the screen. Chromecast support is available on iOS, Android, and web apps using the Chrome browser on Mac or PC.

Last but not least, ad-supported movie and TV show provider Crackle also jumped into the Chromecast fray with its latest version 4.1 update for iOS, which has also been "rebuilt from the ground up and optimized for iOS 7." That means no more watching Jerry Seinfeld and a special guest sip coffee on your smartphone or tablet, which sounds good to us....